Stocking A 20 Gallon

[rikkitiger]

i had a ten gallon aquarium and since it was so cold outside the temperature difference got out of hand last night at about -15 and the galss cracked. luckily i saved all of my fish, (3 platys and 1 dwarf gourami)
 
and so i bought a new 20 gallon tank in the morning, took the day off and got the cycle started, it is coming along pretty nicely and i was wondering about stocking options. they have to get along with my current fish who are pretty nice and i have had them all for about 2 months now
 
so i am only limited to walmart because i live in a small town, but they have all sorts of crazy fish that sometimes are sick, but the ones  have had have come from walmart and survived a bit of fin rot.
 
what would be nice to stock the tank with? i shall of coarse wait until the tank is a bit further on in the cycle, probably a week more, but i want to know what to get.
 
my fish from the old tank are doing fine, in seperate places, but the platys are together and in the crockpot, the gourami in a pyrex bowl. not ideal, but i would like to do a fishless cycle.
 
so thanks! i will write down stocking options and see what they have at walmart.
 
 
thanks again
 
rikkitiger

 

[Lillefishy]

Can you not put the cycled filter from the old tank into the new one? That way you can put your fish straight in

 

[rikkitiger]

i hadn't thought of that! the filters are different becasue the tank is bigger, but i could squeeze it or something. good idea!
 
so, stocking options?

the best thing i think that would be for me is a cleaning up fish?

 

[Lillefishy]

You don't need to squeeze it the old filter can handle the stock you have, just put it in the new tank or just put the old media in the new filter

 

[Ch4rlie]

I'd actually recommend you transfer ALL the filter media to the new filter, cut up the sponge if you need to, add all ceramic/bio balls as well, all these contains all the good bacteria you need and will help cycle your tank faster.
 
I'd wait until you are certain your tank is cycled before considering stocking.
 
Cleaning up fish? do you mean Plecos and otos sort of species, I'd actually not recommend these for your tank. Plecos grow far too big for a 20 gal, otos can be hard to look after, especially feeding them. 

 

[Ninjouzata]

As has been said, would be best to transfer all the filter media. You can cut it up to make it fit.
 
It is your job to keep the tank clean, and most fish such as plecos produce more waste than they clean.
You could do snails or shrimp for cleaning if you really want, though like has been said make sure the tank is fully cycled.
 
Neon tetras are lovely & fairly certain walmart carries them.

 

[rikkitiger]

i read these and fit the old filter media in the filter, and the readings are already looking better!
 
i was just trying to be prepared for when the time came for stocking, you know arm myself with knowledge.
 
i do know that it is my job to clean the tank, it's just in the past my ten gallon would have a lot of brown algea that would take it over, and i was wondering it a cleaner fish that liked to eat it would help even a little?
 
i will consider neon tetras, i think i have seen them there before, thanks.
 
are there dwarf plecos? thanks for telling me they get too big, i probably would have bought one. but i think i will do a bit more research this time before rushing to stock.
 
thanks for all the wonderful feedback! i will read on and off and see what you guys post.

how big should neon tetra schools be at the least?

they also have paradise gourami there. will they get along with dwarfs?

 

[Ninjouzata]

Glad readings are getting better!
 
It could have been diatoms which are common in new set ups. And if not it may have been due to your lighting, how long was it usually on?
 
There are smaller plecos, such as bristlenose, but a 20g is the smallest they could go into. You'd also need some wood for their diet.
The ones at walmart are likely common plecos which get over a foot long.
 
Neon tetras should be kept in groups of 6+

 

[rikkitiger]

thanks! so i think i'll avoid the plecos.
 
it was an old set up, second hand and i didnt have any lighting but it was on the windowsill with sunlight. the 20 gallon is on a table away from windows and it has led lighting.
 
the decorations are looking really great too! i'll have to take a pic when it is finished.
 
so other than tetras what would work? could i get an angelfish?

just an idea.

 

[hobby5]

I wonder why your tank cracked in the first place? It should have nothing to do with the temp. Most likely it was pure coincidence. Do you have a heater for your tank? It would be interesting to know your water hardness. Neons like soft water and platys hard water so ideally you would not keep them in the same tank. No angelfish, your tank is way to small for it.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Sunlight may be to blame for the algae, but I am not super knowledgeable about that stuff.
 
Looking forward to the pics!
 
Angelfish need a minimum of 21" tall tank, and I wouldn't put them in anything less than a 30g.
 
Cory cats may be another option, not sure if your walmart has them but mine does.

 

[allydawn17]

You could add a school of about 6 panda corys, and a maybe a few guppys

 

[rikkitiger]

i dont know why but i dislike the look of guppys.
 
my dad says the temp difference is surely what caused the crack but one can never know for certain. I'm trying to move on and forward from it, not dwelling.
 
Great update! the fish are in and VERY happy for the extra space. they were never this active before. I fed them and they ate, i also did the drip/bucket method to acclimate them before putting them in.
 
I have seen cory cats there, and so i'll look them up, but they are really small there. how big do they get?
 
also, when i had my old aquarium the fish had not light, so when the sun went down, they went dark.
 
should i turn off the light in the aquarium at night?
 
yeah, the angelfish was wishful thinking i know.
 
in the ten gallon tank i had a heater for 2-10 gallons, and when i got the 20 gallon i made sure to get the 10-30 gallon heater.
 
i dont know how to test water hardness, is it the same as testing nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels? would i need a different kit?
 
thanks for the wonderful suggestions. What should i feed corys/panda corys? and should i get them in schools?
 
wow. the further i get into this the happier my fish seem, and the more questions come up. This has all been a real whirlwind and i would like to thank you for caring so much and asking all the right questions to make sure my fish are okay. you guys truly are fish lovers and kindred spirits. thanks

 

[Ninjouzata]

Glad your fishies are happy and enjoying their new home!
 
The size of the cories would depend on what kind they have. At my walmart they have albinos which get 3-4".
They do need to be kept in groups of 6+, and should be fed shrimp pellets.
 
Turn the lights off when you want, just don't want to leave them on too long and promote algae. I leave mine on for 12 hours but that is because my lights are not very strong, others usually do 6-8 hours I think.
 
I think you need another test for hardness, yeah. I'm not sure if walmart has them or not. You should be able to look at your water companies website and they should have that info for you.
 
I'm glad we're able to be of help, and so glad that you seem to be enjoying this hobby we all love

 

[rikkitiger]

thanks!
 
i will look at walmart when i do the stocking run in a couple weeks for hardess tests, what would they be called?
 
are tiger barbs suitable? what other fish are good? i saw paradise and big gourami up there last time and was wondering about that possibility.
 
how would they get along with my dwarf, ginger?

can i buy shrimp pellets at walmart?
 
and oh my goodness corys are so cute. <3